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Around-Rekordversuch: Thomas Coville/Maxi-Tri Sodebo
www.sodebo-voile.com - Übersicht
Wednesday 3rd December 2008
IMAGES OF THE DEEP SOUTH WITH THOMAS COVILLE
How magical these live visioconferences are at sea in the roaring 40s! This
afternoon, Thomas transported us onto his Maxi Trimaran Sodeb’O. He took us
surfing at 33 knots, performed a balancing act on the trampoline above the
sea and chatted with us in the cockpit as he helmed his racing steed.
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Foto: © Pierrick Robert/Team Sodeb'O
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The skipper made the switch to the east this morning, crossing the longitude
of zero degrees at daybreak. He also passed Sébastien Josse, the leader in
the Vendée Globe fleet. He is now alone in opening the way to the desert of
the deep south. The sailor is negotiating a W’ly swell, which is an
indicator of a low set to hit tomorrow. The wind will then shift round to
the NW as it fills to around 30/35 knots. Suffice to say that this will be
the first ‘squall’ of the roaring forties for Thomas, who is set to round
the Cape of Good Hope on Friday.
Visioconference with Thomas Coville:
Thomas, what’s the atmosphere like in the roaring forties? “It’s magical! In
fact I have two albatrosses behind me. It’s the start of the real nitty
gritty now. It’s going to be aggressive! I’m sailing with a 3-4 metre swell
on the beam, the boat surfing down the waves. Conditions are a bit rock’n
roll, with squalls hitting us and quite a few gusts in excess of 30 knots.
It’s very exhilarating. It’s the kind of conditions you seldom come across.
I play with the waves, even though you have to remain vigilant as a wave has
just one thing in mind, to try to make me capsize.”
What awaits you as you approach South Africa? “During the course of tomorrow
and for a few days afterwards, I’m going to be pushed along by a fairly big
low, which will take me beyond the Cape of Good Hope and, I hope, as far as
the Kerguelen plateau. In contrast to the sailors in the Vendée Globe, I
have no ice gates across my course. I love this freedom of choice.”
How’s the sailor? “I’m well! The hardest thing is managing sleep. To sleep,
you have to slow down a little, and for the time being I haven’t slowed down
much. I feel good aboard though, I feel good on my boat. I’m going fast. I’m
having a ball! The speed in a multihull is difficult to handle as the
slightest error would be fatal, but for the most part I go by feeling. I’m
managing to strike a balance with the speed of my boat. Since last year,
I’ve become a lot calmer. Speed makes you permanently tense, which is
wearing, and that never stops. I’m sailing on a knife edge the whole time.”
How do you feel about your deficit on Francis Joyon (570 miles this evening,
or a day behind)? “I avoid looking at the summit of the mountain, otherwise
it gives you the blues. I live from day to day. I’m moving my pawns forward
telling myself that it’ll come good in the long run. Michel Dejoyeaux is
making me feel good... I’m telling myself that if he can make it back into a
race where the weather conditions are the same for everyone, then there’s no
reason why, with different conditions, I can’t make a comeback too.”
How do you perceive the Vendée Globe?: “I’m paying attention to the race as
they are useful to me for observing their speed according to the wind and
sea conditions they encounter before me. The start of the course is
thrilling as the psychology of the different skippers is revealed. I’ve
spoken to some of the competitors on the phone, such as Dominique Wavre and
Yann Eliès. These conversations are always very nice as we really understand
what the other is experiencing.”
AUDIO, VIDEO, IMAGES AND CARTOGRAPHY ACCESSIBLE FROM THE press zone on the
site www.sodebo-voile.com
Translated by Kate Jennings – Expression
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